Legitimate websites, online users, and content networks have been the targets of various forms of fraudulent electronic activity since the advent of the Internet. Past techniques might install, on the computers of unsuspecting owners, malicious software that engages in abusive behavior. Such software, for example, may engage in spamming, pagejacking, and/or botnet click fraud.
Techniques for committing botnet click fraud have become increasingly sophisticated. Malicious entities may set up fraudulent websites visited by no real users yet purporting to be owned by reputable publishers. These fraudulent websites may then request content from content networks, such as advertising networks. The malicious entities may also operate a bot network, or botnet, that simulates the browsing of legitimate web users. These simulated web users may visit the fraudulent websites and generate clicks on the provided content. In this manner, content providers and content networks may be defrauded.